Revelation of Abba's Love - Charles D Harris

8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. [1Jo 4:8 NASB]

Is it safe to say that not having a deep down inner confidence that our creator loves us, created us unique, wonderfully,  rejoices over us, etc that it causes us to feel unsettled in our hearts.  “Who am I?” and “Why am I hear?” are 2 simple questions that plague the heart of man from the womb of our mother until our dying day. 

Think for a moment when you felt a sense of “knowing” about yourself concerning anything.  Maybe you discovered you have a gift to teach, an ability to listen, a business mind, a tender love for children.  As you discovered and explored deeper those areas you gained more and more confidence.  Some of you may have pursued careers or dreams with that revelation thus gaining more confidence about Who you think you are. However in those pursuits you probably hit a wall, still not having that deep seated rest of “knowing” who you are? Or why you’re here.

How many would like to be settled in your heart those questions… Know Who I am and Why I’m here in your heart?

There is a longing of the heart to have those questions answer for us to be settled.

The scripture says “the one who does not love does not know God”.  The Hebrew word “know” is yada intimacy, oneness.

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Last week David spoke of the Living free of fear : The Reality of Abba’s Love - David Mitts the revelation of God as Father coming into the earth through

Avram became Avraham. Look with me at Gen 17:3-7:

“Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. (Gen 17:3-7).

What we need to realize is that Abba is establishing something here.  He is making a covenant with a man who is to be a Father.  He is not just a father to his seed, his descendants, but a father to the nations, the gentiles.  This means that Abraham brings the anointing of Fathering.”

Let’s look at Hebrew to get a picture of the father.

Av in Hebrew means Father אָב

Our scripture says “God is Love”, the Hebrew word for love is Ahav אָהַב

The Hey in the middle is “revealing” the heart of the father

Let’s take a moment and “yada” the Hebrew word to know intimately He IS love rather than He DOES love.  Many people are trying to perform to get God to love them not “knowing” HE IS LOVE and in HIS love he gives.

16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.[Jhn 3:16-17 NASB] 

The absence of this revelation brings about a “longing” for the father’s love which the soul and the flesh provides substitute or “other god’s. The Hebrew word Avah אָוָה

As David spoke last week the greatest thing for Jesus to hear was “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased." To hear the voice of the father affirmation…satisfies the longing of the heart.

The greatest commandment according to Yeshua is the Hear the father’s voice

29 Jesus answered, "The foremost is, 'HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; 30 AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.'[Mar 12:29-30 NASB]

The revelation of his love and acceptance of us cast all fear away.  There is nothing for it to cling to because my heart is at peace.

8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ... 16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. [1Jo 4:8, 16-17 NASB]

In Hebrews the author speaks of a rest for the people of God.  That rest I believe is a “knowing”

7 He again fixes a certain day, "Today," saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, "TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS." ... 9 So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. 10 For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. 11 Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. [Heb 4:7, 9-11 NASB]

Once I have revelation of the father and my place with him.  I become “one” with him as Yeshua prayed in John 17, we would be, thus bringing me in “under the shadow of his wings” (covenant term of protection outlined in Psalm 91)

I spoke of “Giants in our land” the last few weeks.  It is the land of our inheritance as part of covenant.  It is where our rest resides.

• Hitite – terror
• Girgashite – flesh, religion 
• Amorite – “free speech” (loose lips)
• Canaanite – dehumanizing , dishonor, Asherah (sexuality) and Molech (child sacrifice) 
• Jebusite – threshing place – lord over, rule through fear and intimidation (heaviness)
• Perrizite - unwalled, unprotected (thieving)
• Hivite - deception 

We can see evidence of these spirits alive and operating all around and in us bringing fear and unsettlement.  We can find ourselves like all of Israel when David went to bring lunch to his brothers during a standoff between Israel and the Philistines.

[1Sa 17:18, 22-26 NASB] 18 "Bring also these ten cuts of cheese to the commander of their thousand, and look into the welfare of your brothers, and bring back news of them. ... 22 Then David left his baggage in the care of the baggage keeper, and ran to the battle line and entered in order to greet his brothers. 23 As he was talking with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine from Gath named Goliath, was coming up from the army of the Philistines, and he spoke these same words; and David heard them. 24 When all the men of Israel saw the man, they fled from him and were greatly afraid. 25 The men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who is coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel. And it will be that the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel." 26 Then David spoke to the men who were standing by him, saying, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?"

See David was settled in who he was in the covenant

As the word of God searches our hearts he is delivering the giants into our hands to destroy through revelation of his love and truth in that area where we can come out of agreement with the lies of the giants and true of his word bringing us into rest.

12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. [Heb 4:12-16 NASB]

As we encounter life’s trials and circumstances we must cry out to the father for that sense of rest again.

 15 For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" [Rom 8:15 NASB]

Yeshua did this as he was facing the cross

36 And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will." [Mar 14:36 NASB]

Your mission: Realize you are a Son!

 6 Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" [Gal 4:6 NASB]

Living free of fear : The Reality of Abba’s Love - David Mitts

 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (Mat 3:16-17)

Because we have inherited a theology born out of rebellion and disconnectedness, we tend to lose the Hebraic context of what we read.

The Scriptures are embedded in a context.  That context is derived from a culture that was birthed by the Father, when He covenanted with Abraham.  

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When we look at Abraham we see the nature of the vision that Abba has for us.

Avram became Avraham. Look with me at Gen 17:3-7:

Abram fell facedown, and God said to him, "As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. (Gen 17:3-7).

What we need to realize is that Abba is establishing something here.  He is making a covenant with a man who is to be a Father.  He is not just a father to his seed, his descendants, but a father to the nations, the gentiles.  This means that Abraham brings the anointing of Fathering.

What does it mean to bring the covenant reality of Fathering to the nations?  Well it means that through this covenant we can relate to God as our Father.  Now, this may not immediately click with us, so let me take a moment to share some insights into this reality.

Take for a moment and think of the word dad.  Who gets to use it?  If a child calls their father by their given name, i.e. David what does that mean?  Who does that?  Only a true son or daughter can use the name “dad”.

So when Abraham was given by covenant the position of being Father to the nations, this is bringing the revelation of “dad” to the nations.  You see the nations know God as God, all-powerful omnipotent ruler of all.  Abraham’s covenant brings Him as “dad”.

When a child calls to their “dad” and has a need what does “dad” do?  Dad is moved by his heart connection!  He doesn’t respond on any other basis.  The child asks on another basis.  That basis is trust, or what the Bible calls faith.  That trust or faith is grounded in love.

Abraham’s covenant is the basis of all covenants.  He embodied the Fathering, or if you will his covenant with the Father was to reveal the heart of God as Father.

This came in the name change.  Avram is aleph-bet-resh-mem.  It is made up of 2 words Av and Ram.  Av means father and ram means most high.  SO Avram means most high father.  When God made the Fathering covenant with the one in the earth whose name was “most high father” He added a “Hey”.  Now Hey is in the name of God but also means the revelation of something.  So one way to look at Abram’s name change is to extend His fathering role to all nations which is true, but another aspect is that Abram was to reveal or make known the Father’s nature to all by changing the image of God from the ALL-Powerful creator God who gives and takes away, to one who is Daddy to His children.

This is so important because the very next thing Abba does with Abraham is deal with the issue of their barrenness. 

Now, the Apostle Paul in writing to the Church in Rome gives us some insight into this miracle: Romans 4:16-22

Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all (as it is written, "I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS") in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE." And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore "IT WAS ACCOUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS."

(Rom 4:16-22)

Now, we tend to focus of the faith part of this verse which is important.  BUT, I want to look at it maybe a little differently today.  You see Abba changed Avram’s name to Abraham.  He changed it to reveal or if you will make Abram-Abraham a revelation of a new kind of relationship in the earth.  God, would now birth supernatural children through His seed.  He takes a letter of His name, the Hey and puts in Abraham’s name, the Hey the letter of revelation and reveals or if you will makes possible the impossible of a dead husk of a man and woman bringing forth a new birth.  he supernaturally makes Abraham and Sarah, mom and dad by revealing Himself as Abba as Father.  Can you see it?

Now, He is in the earth scene as a God who is Father.  Father to whom??  The children who bear His seed, His promise.  This is more than a biological relationship even spiritually.  His is not just the biological sperm donor, but the actual Father.  He is everything meant by that revelation.  SO much so that in the next chapter Abraham as the representative of the Father argues for Sodom and Gemorrah.  Who has the right to challenge the Father?  The one who is the agent of the revelation of the Father.

Now, the role of the Father comes into focus.  What is a Father?  Well there many aspects to Fathering with the Father’s heart, but one of the most important is to receive into our hearts the totality of His Love for us.  Romans 5:8 gives us a glimpse into this reality:

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (Rom 5:5)

What does it mean to have the “love of God lured into our hearts by His Holy Spirit?”  What is the “love of God”?  Well if we read on in Romans 5:9-13 it tells us that this love was demonstrated for us by the giving of Yeshua:

For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (Rom 5:6-10).

There is something then in the revelation of who God is in our lives that is sacrificial.  He sacrificed His Son for us.  As the revelation of Fatherhood in the earth we know that His love for us was of such a nature that He was willing through His precious Son to die for us, to set us free.  Set free from the wrath that was due to us.  That is the primary expression, scripturally of how insanely crazy about you as His child that Abba is.  Can you grasp that passion?  Can you let the revelation of what a true Father is as manifested by the Father into your heart?

Now realize by the eyes of your heart, the revealing that is in your heart, that He has implanted that kind of love in you.  You have His sacrificial heart and you have that heart in you towards children of the spirit, your own biological if that is the case and spiritual, of the dead womb.  They are in the world for you even if you are still Avram and not yet fully awakened to being Avraham.

Look with me at Luke 11:11-13:

If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luk 11:11-13)

What does it mean that He gives His Holy Spirit to those who ask him?  Yes, we know it means being born-again.  BUT, born-again into what or who?  The kingdom. Yes, but what or who is the kingdom?  I want to suggest to you that the “kingdom” we are born into is the actual seed of the Father who is reproducing after His own kind.  He is birthing fathers!

He is birthing Fathers, male or female, who have His love and their ground of being.  We are loved first and then we act. Look at 1John 4:10

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1Jn 4:10).

We are grounded in His Love! You see if we can receive that then we can act appropriately to that love.  If we haven’t been awakened to that reality that we are striving to get there.  WE HAVE NO CHOICE. We are birthed in love so there is no option called living without it.  In fact you could say that ALL that we do is in some way a response to the need to be born-again to the revelation of His Love as the Father for us.  The one where He calls us by name, the one where He fully claims us and makes us into His children expressing Him into the earth!  This is why He gives us His nature.  His Spirit is not just an encounter with power. It is that.  But His Spirit is something much more profound!

His Spirit is His deposit into our hearts of His character, His goodness, all that He is.  Meditate on that!  Let that reality come int your being.  His love is His Spirit.  A natural father wants his kids to learn what he has learned and avoid the mistakes he has made.  What drives a father or a mother crazy is to see their kids emulating their own bad behaviors.  There is an anger that arises on the inside that is rooted in the shame of self awareness.  As parents, we fear our own past.  I know I do.  And yet unless we allow ourselves to become Avraham, receive into our hearts the love of the Father then we will teach and minister to our children, natural and spiritual out of our striving.  Fear will be the basis of our relationships.

We have to receive the love of the Father first.  Yeshua didn’t come just to die but to reveal the Father.

All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. (Mat 11:27)

This revealing is grounded in love, not in fear.  Yeshua began his ministry in the earth with this revelation when He came out of the waters of Baptism.

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (Mat 3:16-17)

You can hear the empowerment of the revealed God and Father.  The son whom I love.  This is who you are: The son or daughter who He loves.  This is what launched His ministry because He couldn’t bring a gospel of love without first being born again Himself into it.  This might shake some theological pillars, but I believe that without this impartation of the Spirit of God as the seed of the Father’s “Fatherhood”, Yeshua couldn’t have been who He needed to be.  His ministry of love needed this death of His own old nature, as good as it was, for this new nature of the Son to come forth.  The baptism and the receiving of the Father’s Spirit was essential that He would operate in love not fear.  Giving and serving, not performance and striving.

One final scripture and then we pray: Mathew 17:

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!"

(Mat 17:1-5)

The Father who is reveling Fatherhood, declares Himself again and gives a fresh birthing of His Spirit again, at the mountain and includes Moses and Elijah.  What is this?  Why Moses and Elijah?  Who are they?  Moses is the Father’s heart of deliverance from bondage and freedom into the order, the light of the Father.  Elijah is this strange prophet who brought the revelation of  Godly authority, provision, and unity.  Aren’t these characteristics of Fathers that we need form the Father heart??  What was Yeshua about to do now?  He was about to go to Jerusalem, the seat of authority and die for these keys to the kingdom for us.  There is so much in the lives of these 2 men that is the heart of the Father.  BUT The most important thing to take away is the declaration of love as the foundation stone for the Son to give His life!

And the command to sh’ma, to hear!  The Father gives His love so we can hear.  Why? Because faith comes by hearing.  We need to receive His love or we cannot even hear.  People don't care what you know until they know how much you care.  We cannot hear the scriptures, receive the prophetic words unless we know that we are loved by the Father who is personal to us.

Malachi 4 sums up this reality:

"For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up," Says the LORD of hosts, "That will leave them neither root nor branch. But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do this," Says the LORD of hosts. "Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, With the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. (Mal 4:1-6)

It is all about the Father’s heart for His beloved sons and daughters in whom He is well pleased!